The present invention relates to electrical interconnection between separate circuit boards and particularly relates to making electrical interconnection between circuit boards of a type having the circuitry etched on a metal foil laminated on an insulating substrate or printed circuit boards as they are commonly called. Heretofore, it has been the practice in mass production of electronic devices to interconnect individual circuit boards by a flexible connector such as a multiple conductor ribbon which has the opposite ends of its conductors attached to separate circuit boards which may then be stacked by bending of the flexible ribbon with the interconnection remaining intact. However, in electronic devices where the volume of the assembled device must be maintained at a minimum, it is often cumbersome and prohibitive from a volume standpoint to stack individual circuit boards with the flexible ribbon connector extending from the sides of the stacked boards.
In addition where a flexible multiconductor ribbon connector is employed to interconnect separate circuit boards, it has been found difficult to handle the boards after connection of the ends of the connector to the individual boards, particularly where the conductors are soldered during assembly operations without breaking the soldered connections of the conductor ends and particularly during the flexing of the ribbon. In addition, the cost of the multiple conductor ribbon and the individual soldering of the ends of the conductors has proven to be time consuming and costly in mass production.
Accordingly, it has long been desired to provide a simple reliable and low cost technique or way for directly interconnecting individual circuit boards and particularly printed circuit boards in a manner which readily lends itself to mass production and provides an electrical connection of sufficient integrity to prove viable during the service life of the electronic device.